Wärtsilä unveils new hybrid and energy storage solutions

Wärtsilä has unveiled new hybrid power plants, engines+storage and energy storage solutions for global power markets.

The Finnish technology group claims that the new solutions would present its existing and future customers added value by using energy storage technology along with conventional engine-based power generation.

Wärtsilä said that it will also be offering stand-alone energy storage solutions.

The new solutions provide an optimized spinning reserve, fuel savings, optimization and savings in operation and maintenance, regulation compliance and lowered emissions.

Wärtsilä, by offering hybrid power plants, engines+storage, also brings in energy management system (EMS) to streamline the usage of hybrid power plants.

In July last year, Wärtsilä entered into a co-operation agreement with EMS software provider Greensmith whose GEMS platform is claimed to be among the widely-deployed energy storage software solution. GEMS is said to enable highly advanced and proven energy storage systems.

Hybrid power plants are said to operate in an optimal way with GEMS at all times. This, Wärtsilä says will ensure ideal utilization of the two engines and the energy storage solution.

Wärtsilä Energy Solutions energy storage director Risto Paldanius said: “With these new solutions, Wärtsilä does not only enter the energy storage market but also becomes a systems integrator as we are able to optimize the usage of our hybrid power plants with EMS software.”

In late March, Wärtsilä won a contract to provide Burkina Faso with a solar PV plant which is being touted to be the largest engine-solar PV hybrid power plant in Africa.